NFL 2021 Season Predictions

The 2021 NFL season is set to kickoff on Thursday night when the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Dallas Cowboys.

The Bucs went on a late season run and then the defense turned it up several notches as they ran through the playoffs (as a wild card team) by winning three road games, including the NFC title game in Green Bay before destroying the Kansas City Chiefs, 31-9 in the Super Bowl in Tampa, Florida. They became the first team in Super Bowl history to win the the championship in their home stadium. 

Dallas is coming off a dismal 6-10 finish in the 2020 season as starting quarterback Dak Prescott was knocked out for the remainder of the season with an ankle injury in the fifth game. Going up against Tom Brady and company won't be easy, so Dallas had better be ready. Tampa Bay should win, but then again it's a new season and they have the target as defending Super Bowl champions on their collective backs. 

Repeating as champions in NEVER easy, just ask the Kansas City Chiefs or any other Super Bowl champ since the 2003 season. In 2004, the New England Patriots (with Brady as the starting quarterback) were the last NFL team to repeat as champions. 

With all that said, here goes nothing at picking the eight NFL divisional winners and wild card teams for this year's playoffs. 

(Wild card teams are in italics; Number one seed is listed in bold.) 

NFC 

East - 1. Dallas 2. Washington 3. Philadelphia 4. N.Y. Giants 

North - 1. Green Bay 2. Minnesota 3. Chicago 4. Detroit 

South - 1. Tampa Bay 2. New Orleans 3. Atlanta 4. Carolina 

West - 1. Seattle 2. San Francisco 3. Arizona 4. L.A. Rams 

AFC 

East - 1. Buffalo 2. New England 3. Miami 4. N.Y. Jets 

North - 1. Pittsburgh 2. Cleveland 3. Baltimore 4. Cincinnati 

South - 1. Tennessee 2. Indianapolis 3. Jacksonville 4. Houston

West - 1. Kansas City 2. L.A. Chargers 3. Denver 4. Las Vegas 

 

NFC Playoffs 

Wild Card Round 

Tampa Bay over Minnesota, Seattle over New Orleans, San Francisco over Dallas 

Divisional Round 

Green Bay over San Francisco, Tampa Bay over Seattle 

NFC Championship 

Green Bay over Tampa Bay 

 

AFC Playoffs

Wild Card Round 

Buffalo over L.A. Chargers, Tennessee over Baltimore, Cleveland over Pittsburgh 

Divisional Round 

Kansas City over Cleveland, Buffalo over Tennessee 

AFC Championship

Buffalo over Kansas City 

SUPER BOWL 

Green Bay Packers over Buffalo Bills